NJEA rips state’s ‘go-slow’ advice on teachers’ job funds

The ongoing battle between the New Jersey Education Association and Gov. Chris Christie’s administration continued today, with the teachers’ union blasting the state Department of Education for advising school districts to reserve their newly awarded federal jobs’ funding rather than reverse layoffs.

The NJEA had run ads criticizing the Christie administration for taking more than three weeks to file its application for the federal funds. The form was available in mid-August and filed Sept. 8th, with the money awarded a week later and the district-level details on the distribution of the funds announced yesterday — along with words of caution urging schools to hold onto the cash for what promises to be a tough budget year in 2011-12.

NJEA president Barbara Keshishian said Christie “manipulated the process to use this funding for his own political agenda.” The governor has said the state was being cautious; in addition, New Jersey was asking federal officials for guidance on whether the state could alter its regular funding formula to distribute the funds.

“Governor Christie has deliberately hijacked this money to cover up even deeper cuts in next year’s budget. He did so by delaying his application until the last minute, which guaranteed that the money wouldn’t arrive until well into the school year. Predictably, districts don’t want to disrupt classes and programs already in place. So for Chris Christie, it’s ‘mission accomplished,’ without regard for the damage he is doing to students and their schools.”

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About Michael Symons

Michael Symons has covered seven governors while working in Gannett's Statehouse Bureau -- a stint which actually only stretches back to 2000, but the door revolves quickly in New Jersey politics. He's co-author of the biography "Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power."

Is the Dark Sweater a bit salty for being beaten at her own game? There are so many things wrong with this money that it’s disgusting to think that the average taxpayer would be willing to pay for it. This money is supposed to be used to hire teachers back, but it can also be used for bonuses, health insurance, pension payments, retroactive raises, wage freeze rescission, and pretty much anything else the union can find ways to waste money on. What about the districts that raised taxes to offset layoffs? Do those tax increases go away? Nope. This money also doesn’t allow for supplies for the newly re-hired teachers. So they will have teachers that don’t have the support they need. If you look at the breakdown of the numbers, 167 districts won’t get enough to hire back 1 teacher, another 145 get less than 4 teachers back, but 106 get 10 or more, and a handful get HUNDREDS of teachers back, yet we all have to pay for the bailout. Half the state gets essentially nothing out of this, yet we all have to pay for it. Some people have to pay double for it.

Now, as for the union. Anything Barbara Keshishian says is to be discarded as toxic waste. After her debacle that cost 12000 teachers their jobs, she has some nerve trying to claim that the governor dragged his feet with this. “Without regard for the damage he s doing to students and their schools,” sounds a lot like “For the Children”. What about the disregard the NJEA has for the students, their schools, and the teachers they are supposed to support? Why don’t you address that, Garfunkel? We need to stretch this money out as long as possible, because it will be a few years again before revenues start coming back up. This is the same thing that they did with the stimulus money, and look what happened. Dig a hole and keep digging, Babs. You really are the scum of the earth, and you are what’s wrong with this state.

Governor doom and gloom, who will try to dampen any positive economic initiative from President Obama as that’s the only strategy for Republicans have, TO SPREAD FEAR AND ANXIETY, the party of NO and OBSTRUCTION. The party that just stopped obstructing the Obama law giving tax breaks for small business and as a result it finally was passed.

Not only does this governor negligently lose a precious $400 million dollars of federal funding for New Jersey schools he has the nerve to dampen the enthusiasm for this additional school funding from the Democratic President.

And when did Christie cut teachers and their pay? All he did was to lower the amount of money the schools got. The schools had to figure out where to make cuts. Did the “big shots” at the NJEA get raises? Did they take pay cuts so some teachers would not get laid off? I dare you to ask them.

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A second look at news, and not-quite-news, on New Jersey, its politics and government, from the Statehouse Bureau of New Jersey Press Media.

Polls

During the past month, Gov. Chris Christie has been to several states for fundraisers and he is now in Mexico on a trade mission. Do you approve of all these travels?

No. He should stay home and focus on New Jersey’s problems.

Yes. His visits help raise the profile of New Jersey and can only help the state.

Yes. I think he would make a great president, and these visits help lay the groundwork for his candidacy.

No. He would make a terrible president and he should stop trying to dupe people into believing in him.

About the Authors

Bob JordanBob Jordan has covered state, county and muncipal governments for the past 10 years. He has also covered the gaming industry and has been a sports team beat writer for NHL, NBA and major league baseball teams.E-mail Bob

John SchoonejongenJohn Schoonejongen is state editor for Gannett New Jersey newspapers. He has reported and edited at New Jersey newspapers from Salem County to Passaic County, writing about everything from state politics to lost pigs on the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Born in Camden County, he still speaks with a southern New Jersey accent, much to his wife's annoyance.E-mail John

Michael SymonsMichael Symons has covered seven governors while working in Gannett's Statehouse Bureau -- a stint which actually only stretches back to 2000, but the door revolves quickly in New Jersey politics. He's co-author of the biography "Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power."E-mail Michael